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How do I change how long I can borrow titles?

Go to Account > Settings to change how long you can borrow different kinds of titles. When you change a lending period, it will only apply to new titles that you borrow, not titles that you already have checked out.

How can I see the titles I’ve previously borrowed?

Your History & notes page (under your Account) lists all the titles you’ve borrowed since January 1, 2016. Your History & notes page also has links to any notes and highlights that you’ve made in OverDrive Read eBooks (which you can see even after the eBooks expire).

Your History & notes page may contain more information, like:

Links to the title’s details page and the author(s), so you can borrow the same title again or search for other titles by the same author

Reading level information for the title

Your star rating for the title (or the ability to rate it, if you haven’t yet)

How do I read borrowed eBooks in my web browser?

Note: When you select Read, most eBooks will open in OverDrive Read. Some specially formatted eBooks (like certain manga or comic books) will open in MediaDo Reader instead.

How do I download borrowed eBooks?

On tablets, smartphones, Chromebooks, and Windows 8 or 10:

We suggest installing the free OverDrive app if you’re using a compatible tablet, smartphone, Chromebook, or Windows 8 or 10 computer. With the app, you can save your school's collection, borrow, and download titles right to your device.

Note: When you install the OverDrive app, you may be prompted to create a free OverDrive account. You can select the “Under 13 years old or using OverDrive through your school” link instead.

On any computer or device:

On any computer or device, you can install software to download eBooks.

Use the links on our Software page to install the free software you need to download eBooks. This will be Adobe Digital Editions for Windows and Mac computers, and the OverDrive app for tablets, smartphones, Chromebooks, and Windows 8 or 10 computers and tablets.

Note: When you install the OverDrive app, you may be prompted to create a free OverDrive account. You can select the “Under 13 years old or using OverDrive through your school” link instead.

Once the software is installed, go to your Checkouts page (under your Account) and select the Download (or Add to app) button next to the eBook.

If the eBook is available in multiple formats, select one, then select Confirm at the bottom of the drop-down menu.

Note: After you choose a format it can't be changed, but you'll still be able to select Read to read most eBooks in your browser.

Once you’ve selected Download/Add to app or Confirm:

Kindle Books (U.S. only) require you to finish checking out on Amazon's website. Follow the on-screen instructions to check out and send the title to your Kindle device or Kindle reading app.

Other download formats (like EPUB or PDF) will open automatically in Adobe Digital Editions or the OverDrive app.

In some cases, you may need to authorize your computer or mobile device with a free Adobe ID the first time you open a downloaded eBook. Learn more about Adobe IDs here.

How do magazines and newspapers work?

Digital magazines and newspapers (U.S. only) from your school come in the NOOK periodical format, and you’ll need the free NOOK reading app or a NOOK tablet to read them. You can find a link to download the NOOK reading app (available for Android, iOS, and Windows 8 or 10) on our Software page.

Magazines and newspapers have Send to NOOK app buttons instead of Borrow buttons. Select Send to NOOK app and follow the instructions to send the magazine or newspaper to your NOOK reading app or NOOK tablet.

Note: Some eBooks (especially those with a lot of pictures) can be too large to download completely in your browser. In those cases, you’ll only be able to save part of the book for offline reading. Narration for read-along eBooks always requires an internet connection.

To enjoy all the benefits of OverDrive Read, we recommend using one of these browsers or devices.

What is MediaDo Reader?

Like OverDrive Read, MediaDo Reader lets you borrow eBooks and read them right in your browser without extra software or downloads.

MediaDo Reader is specially designed to handle comic books and books that read right-to-left or top-to-bottom.

How do I use the dictionary, notes, and highlights in OverDrive Read?

In OverDrive Read, you can look up word definitions, highlight words or sections of an eBook, and add notes. To look up a definition or add a highlight, click (or tap) and hold a word, then select from the pop-up menu. When you add a highlight, you’ll have the option to add a note.

Where do I find my notes and highlights for an OverDrive Read eBook?

You can see notes and highlights for eBooks that you read in OverDrive Read , even if you don’t have it checked out any more (you won’t be able to see notes from other formats, like EPUB or Kindle Book).

To see notes and highlights you made in an OverDrive Read eBook, go to your History & notes page (under your Account). There, you’ll find a Notes & highlights link next to each OverDrive Read eBook you’ve borrowed.

Click the Notes & highlights link to see any passages you highlighted, any notes you wrote, and the colors of the highlights.

Note: You might only see part of the passage you highlighted, depending on the length of the passage.

You can filter your notes and highlights to see a certain highlight color or only notes.

To find a word or phrase within your notes and/or highlights, type the word or phrase in the Filter box.

To see your notes and highlights when you aren’t at this site, select the Export option near the top of the Notes & highlights page.

How do I export my notes & highlights?

Use the steps below to export your notes and highlights from your school website:

Go to your Account, then select History & notes.

Select Notes & highlights next to a title.

Select Export option near the top of the Notes & highlights page.

Choose a method to export your notes and highlights for the title.

A “Notes & highlights” page says I made notes in multiple versions of an eBook. What does that mean?

You may see a message on an eBook’s Notes & highlights page saying that, after the first time you made notes and highlights, the title was replaced with at least one new version or edition. This means that the publisher updated the eBook since the last time you borrowed it, and the updated version is the one currently available to borrow from your school’s collection.

When opening an updated eBook in OverDrive Read, you won’t see any of the notes, highlights, or bookmarks you made in earlier versions. However, you can see your notes and highlights from all versions of an eBook on its Notes & highlights page (found on your History & notes page, under your Account).

How do I listen to borrowed audiobooks in my browser?

How do I download borrowed audiobooks?

On tablets, smartphones, Chromebooks, and Windows 8 or 10:

We suggest installing the free OverDrive app if you’re using a compatible tablet, smartphone, Chromebook, or a Windows 8 or 10 computer. With the app, you can save your school’s collection, borrow, and download titles right to your device.

What is OverDrive Listen?

With OverDrive Listen, you can listen to borrowed audiobooks right in your web browser without extra software or downloads. Because OverDrive Listen is a streaming audiobook player, you’ll need an active internet connection to use it.

OverDrive Listen offers features like the ability to skip forward or backward in the audiobook, adjust playback speed, and add bookmarks, notes, and highlights.

You can return to an OverDrive Listen audiobook at any time during your lending period, and your bookmarks, notes, highlights, and place will be saved.

How do I return titles when I'm done with them?

Your borrowed titles will automatically expire when they're due, which means you'll never be charged a late fee. You can also return titles yourself if you finish reading them early and want to make room for more checkouts.

If you haven't downloaded a title (or added it to the OverDrive app) yet, you can return it right from your school's digital collection. Just select the Return Title button below the title on your Checkouts page (under your Account).

How do I renew titles?

Renewing digital titles works a little differently than renewing physical books from a library. When you renew a digital title, it lets you borrow the title again right after your current checkout expires.

The Renew link becomes available three days before a title is set to expire and appears next to the title on your Checkouts page (under your Account). If the title already has holds, you can't renew it, but you can request it again.

Follow these steps to renew a digital title:

On your Checkouts page, select the Renew link next to the title you'd like to renew.Note: This link doesn't appear until three days before the title is supposed to expire.

If you’ve never renewed a title or placed a hold before, you’ll be asked to enter your date of birth.

If you’re over 13 years old: Enter and confirm your email address, then click Renew. If you want the title to be automatically borrowed for you as soon as your current checkout expires (instead of being held for you on your Holds page), make sure that "Automatically borrow this title at the time of renewal" is selected.
If you’re under 13 years old: A copy of the title will be placed on hold for you, so you can borrow it again right after your current checkout expires.

You can tell that you’ve successfully renewed a title when you see a checkmark and the word Renewed next to that title on your Checkouts page.

If you’re over 13 years old: As soon as your current checkout expires, you'll receive an email with a link to find the title on your Checkouts page (if you had it automatically borrowed for you) or telling you to borrow the title again from your Holds page.

If you’re under 13 years old: As soon as your current checkout expires, you’ll see a notification next to the Account icon on this website. This means that the title is available for you to borrow again from your Holds page.

Once the title is available for you to borrow again, you'll only have 4 days to borrow it, so please check this site often to make sure you don’t miss any notifications.

Please note that renewing a title does not mean that it is automatically re-downloaded to your computer or device. If you would like to re-download a renewed title, you'll have to go back to your Checkouts page and select Download (or Add to app) again.

Why do I see “Request Again” for a title I borrowed?

If a title that you've borrowed has holds, you won't be able to renew it. Instead, you can use the Request Again link to place a hold on it, so that you can borrow the title again as soon as it's available.

The Request Again link becomes available three days before the title is set to expire and appears next to the title on your Checkouts page (under your Account).

Follow these steps to request a title again:

On your Checkouts page, select the Request again link next to the title you'd like to borrow again.Note: This link does not appear until three days before the title is supposed to expire.

If you’ve never requested a title or placed a hold before, you’ll be asked to enter your date of birth.

If you’re over 13 years old: Enter and confirm your email address, then click Place a Hold. If you want the title to be automatically borrowed for you as soon as it’s available, make sure that "Automatically borrow this title when it becomes available" is selected.
If you’re under 13 years old: A copy of the title will be placed on hold for you, so you can borrow it again as soon as it’s available.

You can tell that you’ve successfully requested a title when you see a checkmark and the word Requested next to that title on your Checkouts page.

If you’re over 13 years old: As soon as the title is available, you'll receive an email with instructions to find the title on your Checkouts page (if you had it automatically borrowed for you) or to borrow the title again from your Holds page.

If you’re under 13 years old: As soon as the title is available, you'll see a notification next to the Account icon on this website. This means that the title is available for you to borrow again from your Holds page.

Once the title becomes available, you'll only have 4 days to borrow it, so please check this site often to make sure you don’t miss any notifications.

How do I put an unavailable title on hold?

If a title isn't available, you'll see a Place a Hold button instead of a Borrow button. Follow the steps below to place a hold and be notified when the title is available for you to borrow.

Note: Magazines and newspapers can’t be placed on hold.

Move your mouse over the title (or tap it on a mobile device), then select Place a Hold.

Or, select more to see the title’s details page, then select Place a Hold.

The first time you place a hold, you’ll be asked to enter your date of birth.

If you’re over 13 years old:
Enter and confirm your email address then click Place a Hold. If you want the title to be automatically borrowed for you as soon as it's available, make sure that "Automatically borrow this title when it becomes available" is selected.

The title will be automatically placed on hold for you. When it becomes available for you to borrow, you'll see a notification next to the Account icon on this website.
Once a hold becomes available, you'll only have 4 days to borrow it, so please check this site often to make sure you don’t miss any notifications.

What is the “suspend hold” feature?

You’ll find the “suspend hold” feature in the Options menu next to each title you’ve placed on hold (under your Account > Holds).

Suspending a hold lets you choose a window of time where you'll continue making progress on the title's holds list, but the title won’t become available for you to borrow.

For example, you might want to suspend your hold on a popular eBook if you’re getting near the top of its holds list, but you know you won’t be able to read it if it becomes available soon because you're in the middle of reading another book.

How do I recommend titles for my school’s digital collection?

Using this website, you can browse through titles that your school doesn’t own yet. You can then recommend titles to your school.

After you search for something in your school's digital collection, click or tap the Add titles you can recommend button (you may have to scroll to the bottom of the page). It looks like this:
Once you select this button, the site will run your search again, adding titles your school doesn’t own yet into your results. You can then continue to sort and filter your results to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Note: Another way to add recommendable titles to your search results is by selecting Additional Titles to Recommend in the search filters (if available) or in the advanced search.

To figure out which titles you can recommend, look for the recommend icon.

To recommend a title, mouse over it (or tap it, on a mobile device) and select the Recommend button.

When you select Recommend, you’ll be taken to a new page. If this is your first time recommending a title, you’ll be asked to enter your date of birth.

Click or tap Recommend this title.

Note: If you’re over 13 years old, you’ll also see an option to be placed on the holds list and receive an email if your school buys this title.

Once you’ve recommended a title, its button will change to Recommended. You can only recommend each title once.

You can see how many titles from your wish list are available by looking at the “My Account” box that appears on any page under your Account. Click or tap the number next to “Wish list items available” to view and borrow your available wish list item(s).

How do I rate titles?

To rate a title, click or tap the stars on your Checkouts page (under your Account), your History & notes page (also under your Account), or on a title's details page. To remove your rating, click or tap the X next to the stars.

What is an OverDrive account, and do I need one?

When you install the OverDrive app, you may be asked to sign into the app with a free OverDrive account (create one here). If you don’t want to sign up for an OverDrive account, or are under the age of 13, see the “Options for users under 13” section below.

OverDrive accounts come with some added benefits, like the ability to download the same eBooks and audiobooks on multiple devices, sync your reading or listening progress between devices, and more.

You can also use an OverDrive account to authorize Adobe Digital Editions (the free software that lets you download eBooks on your computer). If you do that, you’ll be able to download the same eBooks on your computer and in the OverDrive app.

Options for users under 13

If you’re under the age of 13, you can’t sign up for your own OverDrive account. In those cases, you can sign in with a library card (from your public library), your school account (if available), or select I am under 13 years old instead. The under-13 option allows you to download titles in the OverDrive app on one device, but you won’t get the other benefits of other sign-in options (like the ability to download the same books and sync your progress and bookmarks on multiple devices). A parent or guardian can create an OverDrive account for you if you don’t want to use your library card, school account, or the under-13 option.

I need more help!

For more help with software and downloads, check out our OverDrive Help articles about OverDrive's app